MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR & CHIEF CURATOR

The Audain Art Museum made great strides over the past year with regard to the continued growth of the Permanent Collection and improved quality of Special Exhibitions, while the trustees and staff continue to position this institution for further successes. Additionally, the Museum’s docents, volunteers, donors, sponsors and members have proven to bring vitality to engagement efforts that started anew in 2022.

James Hart’s towering The Three Watchmen bronze situated atop The Great Flood base created by Xwalacktun and Levi Nelson is a beacon of art along Blackcomb Way that was unveiled in November 2021. Among the other additions to the AAM’s Permanent Collection over the past year were works by Emily Carr, Lawren Harris, Ian Wallace, Liz Magor, Mowry Baden, Joan Balzar and Vilhelm Sundin. Such increases in the AAM’s holding were combined with strategic updates to the Permanent Collection galleries, as a means of offering visitors new perspectives on the development of art in British Columbia.

Over the winter of 2021-22, the Museum hosted Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The superb presentation of such a complex exhibition, that featured major works by the Quebecborn artist from international collections, offered resounding proof of the AAM’s status as a leading cultural institution in Canada. This incredibly successful Special Exhibition was followed by an in-house production entitled Wolves: The Art of Dempsey Bob, a first-ever retrospective of the renowned Tahltan-Tlingit artist. Bob’s opening night in the spring also featured a brilliant performance by the Salmon Creek Dancers and this seminal exhibition is currently on a national tour with stops in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Kelowna as further evidence of the AAM’s growing national influence. This past fall, the Museum made a concerted effort to address a younger demographic via Out of Control: The Concrete Art of Skateboarding, an exhibition that examined the intersection between art and skateboarding. It featured works by 19 contemporary artists spread over two floors, alongside associated products ranging from exhibition hoodies to an AAM branded beer.

Throughout the past year both the Permanent Collection and Special Exhibitions were coupled with a wide variety of engagement activities which add value to the Museum’s experiences, and these included: After School Art, Tuesday Night Talks, Alta + Audain: Fine Dining Art Experience, and Wine Walks. I trust that this organization continues to fulfil the aspirations of founders Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa as outlined in a simple yet poignant statement from their Thoughts on the Audain Art Museum. “It’s About the Art.”

Respectfully,

Dr. Curtis Collins Director & Chief Curator